Iran's Nuclear Deal

 

Iran and Western powers have reached a nuclear deal. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Iran and the world powers have finally agreed on a long awaited deal on Tehran's nuclear energy program. There were days of intense talks in Geneva. President Barack Obama has talked about the deal in his press conference recently. He said that this is a great step in the direction of averting disaster in the region. The reactionaries in other nations and in Congress hate the deal completely. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and European Union foreign policy Chief Catherine Ashton's spokesman, Michael Mann, also announced a nuclear agreement with Iran. The Iranian foreign minister also said that the nuclear crisis is abating. The deal was announced on Saturday night. There were intense nuclear talks between Tehran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. These members are Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States (including Germany). It was originally scheduled to end on Friday entered into the fifth day. The interim deals allows for Iran to continue its activities in its nuclear sites of its cities of Arak, Fordo, and Natanz. The Iranian Foreign Ministry said that the agreement stipulates that no additional sanctions will be imposed on Iran due to its nuclear energy program. Iran gets access to 4.2 billion dollars USD in foreign exchange as part of the nuclear deal. Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araqchi said that the agreement recognizes the country's enrichment program. Araqchi is Iran's top nuclear negotiator. Araqchi had earlier emphasized that Tehran could not accept any deal that did not recognize Iran's enrichment right. The landmark agreement was reached in Tehran's third nuclear negotiations with the world powers since Iranian President Hassan Rouhani took office in August. The agreement in summary dealt with the six month agreement slows Iran's nuclear development program in exchange for lifting some sanctions. "For the first time in nearly a decade, we have halted the progress of the Iranian nuclear program, and key parts of the program will be rolled back," Obama said late Saturday night. President Vladimir Putin said that the deal was balanced and will be a positive factor in Middle East relations. He said that Russia had proposed earlier principles of gradualism and reciprocity. "The IAEA welcomes the agreement reached in Geneva, which is another important step forward following the agreement reached between the Agency and Iran on 11 November in Tehran," Yukiya Amano, director general of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, said in a statement. "With the agreement of the IAEA's Board of Governors, the Agency will be ready to fulfil its role in verifying the implementation of nuclear related measures." Israel and other Sunni dominated nations (except Egypt) fear that the deal was a mistake. The reality is that the deal is better than imperialist warfare. The reactionary Republicans hate the deal as being premature and detrimental to a real solution to the Iranian issue. In the deal, the U.S., Britain and their puppet regimes across the globe have agreed to ease some of the harshest sanctions on Iran, freeing up 6 to 7 billion in oil revenues they illegally stole from the country, while Iran agreed to a 6 month freeze on nuclear enrichment and tighter inspections by the IAEA. Netanyahu is a blatantly reactionary and an extremist. He is allied with Lukidnites and he is not representative of the progressive genuine Jewish and Arabic folks in the world that want genuine peace in the globe. The Saudi-Israeli alliance could not defeat the deal. The Saudi-Israeli alliance, with its combination of wealth and oil on the Saudi side and propaganda and lobbying on the Israeli side, has represented a new pole testing out its combined strength against the more traditional powers of Washington and Moscow. This is an interim deal. Yet, the signing represents an historic achievement, the first time the United States and Iran have joined in a formal diplomatic pact since the Iranian revolution of 1979. Obama and Putin worked together on the deal. This deal is certainly better than a militaristic Shock and awe militaristic campaign against Iran. Every nation has the right to have legitimate economic development period. Iran says that they do not want to create a nuclear bomb. This deal is better than some military strike against Iran. The war hawks still think that this deal is extreme and appeasement, which is silliness. The bad news is that deal is temporary for a six month period. It doesn't go far enough (in respecting the human rights of the Iranian people) and it can be reversible. It is obvious that Iran deserves peace not war. Yet, this deal never justifies the current, criminal Western imperialism that is still going on in the world. We should always condemn imperialism, unjust wars, Africom, and other evils that relate to current Western foreign policy. We know that the CIA (and other nefarious entities) committed terrorism, coups, assassinations, and other evils for decades. We should continue to oppose imperialism in the world.


China is having sweeping free market reforms. There is a consolidating the cheap labor economy and resulting devastating social impacts. The free market actions have been going on for over three decades. The CCP or the Chinese Communist Party has unveiled the main resolution and President Xi Jinping's explanatory remarks to the third plenum of the 18th Central Committee that concluded last week. The global financial market regarded the initial communique released on November 15 as disappointing due to the lack of any concrete policy. Stock markets in mainland China and Hong Kong have been tumbling recently. “Then, on the weekend, well ahead of the usual schedule for such announcements”, the New York-based Bloomberg.com noted, “the party released a longer follow-up statement worth getting excited about,” adding that, “It’s radical stuff." The market excitement has been summed up by American billionaire investor named Jim Rogers. He was the cofounder of the Quantum Fund with George Soros. He said that he was considering migrating to China with his dollars as the most important economic event of the next 10 to 20 years is what is happening in Beijing. The “Decision on Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reforms” is a 60-point blueprint for the next 10 years. It stressed that “the reform of the economic system is the focus of all the efforts to deepen the all-round reform”, which will allow the market to play the “decisive” role in economic life. Some sections of the Chinese press even predicted that the state would be reduced to the status of “night watchman”—a phrase used to describe 19th century “laissez-faire” capitalism of Dickensian Britain. This blueprint is in line with the demands of Western finance capital outlined in a joint report. It was produced last year by China's State Council and the World Bank called "China 2030." This report wants to increase the exploitation of the 500 million strong Chinese workforces. They want to use production speedup, streamlining, and opening up sections of the Chinese economy previously closed to global capital. It will increase supplies of cheap labor via land reform to drive more peasants into the cities. I have no issue with banning the one child policy as that policy has harmed folks unfairly and even jailed innocent human beings. There could be a possible increase in the retirement age. Some want the financial sector to have more liberalization where private capital can be used to develop small and medium banks. Some want moves toward exchange rate flexibility and marketed determined interest rates.  This can cause tightly controlled capital account freely convertible. This will cause financial institutions to go bankrupt and to protect investors. The Big Four state owned commercial banks could lose power. Private and foreign investors could control more of the previously state dominated sectors from finance, petrochemicals, aviation, coal, shipping, electricity, and even military industries. Beijing now will not fully privatize its 100 plus largest state owned enterprises. There are concerns about national security raised by the U.S. pivot to Asia. U.S. agencies have access to telecom networks. Beijing now has begun to exclude American corporations like Cisco and IBM. This has led to sharp falls of their recent revenues. There is the new austerity imposed by Xi on the CCP bureaucracy. It has bans on drinking, dine dining, and luxury offices. These acts are done to end endemic corruption. In reality, these measures are to discipline and downsize the large state bureaucracy, turning it into a “service” government subordinate to the new Chinese elite and the operations of the “free market." More of the Chinese government will be deregulated form gas to transport. There have been cuts to spending on pensions and health care while lessen taxation on private sector firms. There has been a decline in its working age population. Couples now can have two children if one of the parents was a single child. There have been clashes between developers who are corrupt and farmers in China too. The CCP regime is deeply concerned about the prospect of social unrest. Xi announced several cosmetic changes, including the abolition of the widely hated “correction through labour” system which allows police to send minor offenders to labour camps for up to four years without due procedure. In reality, Xi is strengthening the police state apparatus with the establishment of a new powerful National Security Committee that places the military, intelligence, public security and diplomatic apparatus under his direct control. Xi is acting similar to Deng Xiaoping. Deng initiated the process of restoring capitalism in 1978. Professor Xiao Gongqian of Shanghai Normal University summed up the enthusiasm in ruling circles for “a golden age of Chinese neo-authoritarianism” to protect the interests of the wealthy elites as the social divide deepens. “It’s essential to concentrate power now. This period requires a strong man, a very powerful leader, and this powerful leader must have both prestige and also institutionally guaranteed powers,” he declared. In the final analysis, power should be given to the people and not elusively to select, wealthy elites at all.



The U.S. is bullying at the TPP negotiations for Big Pharma profits. There are the issues of property rights and the sale of generic drugs. We have the U.S. Trade Representative Stan McCoy on intellectual property and health. McCoy puts profits of pharmaceuticals ahead of the lives of people. We know that the lives of humanity are more important than corporate interests. There is a debate in the TPP negotiations. It deals with the patents on pharmaceutical drugs and medical procedures. Long patents inflate the profits of the pharmaceutical industry by not allowing less expensive generic drugs on the market.  That means that people globally will not be able to afford critical, often lifesaving drugs, and medical procedures. Long patents will inflate the profits of the pharmaceutical industry by not allowing less expensive generic drugs on the market. That means that human beings all over the world will not be able to afford critical, often lifesaving drugs and medical procedures. Nations like Japan, Australia, and New Zealand that have national health care systems will see the cost of healthcare rise to a breaking point, undermining some of the best health system in the world. Stanford McCoy of the U.S. Trade Rep. wants to ally with Big Pharma. He or the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Intellectual Property and Innovation is chairing the meetings on intellectual properties and medicines. He wants to force nations to agree to positions that will harm people in the countries negotiating the TPP including the U.S. The U.S. wants nations to force countries to trade away health in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement negotiations. Margaret Flowers, MD a health policy expert from the US says: “The Office of the US Trade Representative is putting the interests of trans-national health corporations before the needs of people. If the US position is forced through, the TPP will extend patents for medications, medical devices and even procedures for exorbitant lengths of times. This will inflate prices, keeping treatments out of reach for those who need them. This will cause unnecessary suffering and death, especially for the most vulnerable populations, and will undermine health systems around the world and at home.” “This is a loaded game,” Professor Kelsey said. “McCoy sets the agenda and timetable. Negotiators are working from morning until late at night and preparing to work all night, if necessary. ”This is a crucial period for New Zealand and a number of other countries,” Kelsey observed. The text published by Wikileaks last week shows they have tabled an alternative to the US proposed text that has been repeatedly rejected.”  Congress is divided on whether to pass the TPP or not. America has about twenty people in Salt Lake City for the intellectual property chapter, who can rotate. Some health negotiators, especially from poor countries, could not extend their stay. The TPP has been fully exposed. There are lists of 600 corporate advisers to the President who are crafting the TPP. The TPP is the largest ever proposed economic treaty. It deals with more than 40 percent of the world's GDP. It will deal with medicine, publishers, internet services, civil liberties and biological patents. The negotiations happening in Salt Lake City is interesting since it is the home of many Mormons. Mormonism is a Masonic-like religion that is not related to even orthodox Christianity. Utah has a new massive spying center ironically. Even in December 3, some will have a global protest against the WTO and these toxic agreements. Flushthetpp.org is an excellent website that exposes the TPP for the world to see. Much of this treaty is heavily negotiated behind the scenes of Congress and the American people. There are many protesters fighting back against the corporate TPP proposed treaty.

The murder of Renisha McBride represents the murder of black women. The murder and abuse of black women have been readily omitted by mainstream Western society. The Wayne County prosecutor in Detroit filed charges in a case that is very similar to the murder of Trayvon Martin. Renisha McBride was a 19 year old African American woman. She wanted to ask for help after a car accident came about in a predominantly white suburb of Detroit. Renisha was shot in the face with a shotgun in the early hours of November 2. Her cell phone was dead and she was bleeding from a wound on her head. She wanted help. Reports said that the 54 year old Theodore Wafer shot Renisha through the screen door of his home. Wafer never called the police until an hour later. He lied and claimed that he fired in self-defense at first. He changed his story (which makes him a liar by definition) and claimed that the shotgun went off by accident. He changed it back again when prosecutors filed murder and manslaughter charges against him. Initial reports said that Renisha's body had been "dumped," but the police later said that it was found on the porch. Wafer is using SYG self-defense laws as a means to try to escape justice. The murderer said that he felt threatened by Renisha. Her death was ruled a homicide. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy filed charges. Detroiters protested and have shown great strength in giving support to the family of the late Sister Renisha McBride. Detroit should be proud of standing firm and strong. On November 7, about 50 human beings gathered outside police department headquarters in Dearborn Heights. Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, spoke for the crowd when he asked: "Had she been a white woman and the shooter a black man, would the shooter be sitting comfortably at home watching TV today?" 2 days later, about 200 people attended a rally. It was organized by the National Action Network on the West Side of Detroit. Other protests have been done all over the Detroit area too. Wafer faces second degree murder and manslaughter charges. Many sick human beings are putting the victim on trial instead of the murderer. Some are demonizing Renisha by citing toxicology reports when Wafer was never tested for drugs or alcohol at all. Some want to justify her execution by a shotgun for seeking help, which is sick. Race can never be eliminated from the equation. Dearbon Heights is 86 percent white and Detroit is 82 percent Black. We know about the double standards in dealing with police violence and racism in the States. We know that the Detroit police murdered the 7 year old girl named Aiyana Jones. Shortly after Aiyana's death during a police raid on her home, Charles was charged with providing the gun used in another murder. Charles has been held without bail for three years as his trial has been postponed. In the case of Aiyana's killer, the prosecutor's office somehow managed to select an all-white jury from a predominantly Black area for the cop's first trial, which ended in a mistrial. This is only another example of a justice system that treats Black life as less valuable--something made gruesomely clear once every 28 hours--the rate at which African Americans are killed by police, security guards or vigilantes, according to a report by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement. If a Black man killed a white woman on his porch, he would be placed into jail immediately. There are more George Zimmermans in the world, which is a threat against black men, black women, and black children.

In July, a New Orleans homeowner shot unarmed 14-year-old Marshall Coulter in the head because he thought the teen was trying to break into his house, and a pregnant woman was killed on a sidewalk in Pratt, Kan., by a man shouting racial slurs. In September, a man in Dallas shot 8-year-old D.J. Maiden in the face as he played in a parking lot. Then there's the case with the closest echoes to that of Renisha McBride. Also in September in Charlotte, N.C., 24-year-old Jonathan Ferrell was killed. Ferrell was in an accident. He begged for help and they police tasered him. They shot him three times, which killed him. The protests in Dearbon Heights and Detroit should be commended as they have expressed justifiable outrage over Renisha's killing. We should have anti-racist mobilization and organization to combat injustices like these.



I have heard about the huge child welfare issues in various states across America for years. Some CPS workers are legitimate and others are either apathetic or corrupt in their actions. Numerous real stories document the grave magnitude of the situation with child protective services nationwide. This is personal for all of us since either we all have children or we know relatives with children in real life. The safety of children should have the most vital priority. One great Sister (who wrote about Jahessye Shockley) here is correct to call for radical reforms as a means to handle this horrendous situation. There should be investigations all over the place as a means to seek not only recommendations, but accountability, and better solutions. Also, we have to recognize that not only the Brothers are suffering, but the Sisters are suffering too. Many Sisters have experienced (and still are experiencing now) police brutality, abuse, and murder (and a whole lot of their stories have been omitted or obfuscated by many in the mainstream press). Therefore, we should continue to defend Black Women and stand up against any unjustified oppression against any Black Female. Some of us who are men have not spoken up strongly enough to defend real black females and we have a responsibility to speak up against any evil done against Brothers and especially Sisters. True manhood is also defending females not to degrade them (We have to learn about the stories of Aiyana Jones, of Latasha Harlins, of Kathryn Johnston, Thalia Rebecca Mook, of Kyam Livingston, etc. When folks target the Sisters, they are targeting all of us period). We as Brothers and Sisters have the right to be active and be proactive in creating solutions not just to talk about evil. We should fight evil. Many social workers knowing about child abuse and other evils is abhorrent and disgraceful to say the least. If someone doesn't treat the youngest among us with respect, then they certainly don't respect us as grown adults. There is another wild story (about 14 More Correctional Officers Charged in Baltimore Jail Sex Scandal), but we should know about stories like these as a means to be educated on real life situations. This story shows the evils found in the prison industrial complex. The folks involved in these evil deeds should be punished. Like always, accountability and justice should be made against depraved human beings. The BGF are not real Brothers and Sisters in my eyes. They are criminals who exploit the black community as a means to do corruption. Corruption is not right. The correction officers involved in the criminal acts should be ashamed also not just the BGF members involved. That is why doing what is right reaps great benefits in the long term. When you are strong, when you treat your parents right, when you treat your neighbors right, when you love your black identity, when you are active to build in your own community, and when you become more educated on the truth, then you feel good about yourself.

By Timothy